Understanding online poker

Understanding online poker played in online casinos compared to traditional poker

Online poker, as evident from the name, is poker played over the internet. Poker is offered for play on most online casinos across the internet. Online poker is not only easier and more fun to play but also has contributed immensely to the growth of poker players worldwide. Playing poker in an online casino from the comfort of home is appealing to all categories of players – from the Professional to the novice. Poker at an online casino provides opportunities to place optimum bets for one and all.

The rise in poker play has been proved by statistics – UK online casino figures for poker are as follows:

Daily cash game turnover in January 2003 ~ £5.3 million

Daily cash game turnover in January 2004 ~ £32 million

Daily cash game turnover in January 2007 ~ £95 million

Therefore, poker played at online casinos is rising by an amazing growth rate and there is no reason why it will not continue to do so. The above figures are also an indicator of the rising number of players and also the rising confidence in online casinos.

While there are thousands of online casinos offering poker play, there are absolutely no differences in the way that poker is played at the table or on your computer. The only difference can be found in the ambience offered by table based poker with respect to player interaction and the lights and sounds that go with it. While most online casinos try and offer an amazing gaming experience that can beat live poker environments hands down, they can also be customised by the online players which is not possible in a live environment. Most online UK casinos also offer relevant content which can prove useful to many interested players. This kind of rotating content based on the latest news, results, strategy guides and reviews are not available to a live poker player. While these small differences do count when looked upon as a whole, the major differences between a traditional poker environment and poker played at online casinos are as follows:

1. Online poker does not cost anything aside from the money you choose to bet while traditional poker tables do have an entry fee.

2. Poker played at online casinos is more helpful due to hints and information provided during the game and suits new players and low stakes players.

3. Online casinos offer faster play, due to lack of banter as seen at most traditional tables. Auto action buttons and availability of automatic calculations also make online poker faster.

4. Although most online casinos have security filters in place, it is more prone to frauds than a traditional casino – as perceived by most people. The rise in figures as indicated above shows that this concern is peeling away slowly.

5. Online casinos also allow you to play at multiple tables without any physical movement, thus, increasing the chances of winning.

6. Although reading body language is perceived as a major aspect of a traditional poker table, this facility is not available in online poker.  However, experts say you can still tell a lot about your opponent by the way he plays online.

7. Online casinos provide free money to play online poker, thus lessening the risk of losing money while learning the game.

8. The legal issues pertaining to online and traditional poker are the same.